My Family’s Immigration/Migration Story: Finding Context & Background Information
Your goal is to find background information on your family’s immigration story. You want to explore trends in
general American immigration patterns to place YOUR family in space and time. If your family’s story fits into
this unit, the textbook could be an excellent resource. Otherwise, you’ll want to use Google to explore websites,
articles, etc. about your topic. See suggestions for research below.
Mexican Immigrants:
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Timeline of Mexican Immigration: http://www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/timeline/17.html
http://www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/index.html
http://www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/index.html
Mexicans in Chicago: http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/824.html
History of Mexican Immigration:
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/mexic
an.html (use links at bottom for more topics)
Puerto Rican/Cuban Immigrants:
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http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigrati
on/cuban3.html
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigrati
on/cuban4.html
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigrati
on/cuban6.html
Puerto Ricans in the U.S. http://www.pewhispanic.org/2014/08/11/puerto-rican-population-bycounty/
Other Latin American countries:
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Latin American Immigrants: http://www.nps.gov/latino/latinothemestudy/immigration.htm
South American immigrants: http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/south-american-immigrantsunited-states
Undocumented Immigrants http://www.pewhispanic.org/interactives/unauthorized-immigrants2012/
Latinos in the U.S. http://www.pewhispanic.org/packages/latinos-by-geography/
Search your nationality in the Encyclopedia of Chicago! E.g.
o Guatemalans in Chicago http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/556.html
o Ecuadorians in Chicago: http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/412.html
African American Migrations:
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http://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/on-african-americanmigrations/
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-now/essays/african-immigration-colonial-america
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/545.html
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_migration.html
African Immigrants:
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Sub-Saharan Immigrants http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/sub-saharan-african-immigrantsunited-states
African immigration trends http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/african-immigrant-populationdoubling-each-decade-washington-area-among-highest/2014/10/01/efbada70-498f-11e4-891d713f052086a0_story.html
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Census Data: Foreign-Born African Immigrants
https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/acs/acsbr12-16.pdf
“African” vs. “African-American” http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-01-19/are-african-immigrantsafrican-american
Malians in Chicago http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/782.html
Ethiopians in Chicago http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/436.html
Nigerians in Chicago http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/891.html
Check the Encyclopedia of Chicago for other nationalities, specifically!
European immigrants:
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Search your individual nationality on encyclopedia of Chicago
o Poles http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/982.html
o Bosnians http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/157.html
o Romanians http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1091.html
o Germans: http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/512.html
o Italians: http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/658.html
Asian/Middle Eastern Immigrants:
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Chinese in Chicago http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/285.html
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/chinese-immigration
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigrati
on/chinese.html (see links at bottom of page for more info.!)
Japanese in Chicago: http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/664.html
Indians in Chicago: http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/635.html
Pakistanis in Chicago http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/944.html
Afghans in Chicago http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/26.html
Iraqis in Chicago http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/651.html
Check the Encyclopedia of Chicago for other nationalities, specifically!
Textbook pages from this unit!
My Family’s Immigration/Migration Story: Finding Context & Background Information
INSTRUTIONS:
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Sign in to your CPS Google account
Go to your Drive (top right corner—click on the box of boxes and click on ‘Drive;
Click ‘Create’ at the top left, and select ‘Document’
Title the document at the top by clicking ‘Untitled Document’
Share the document with me by clicking ‘Share’ on the top right—enter my e-mail address
(llcantacessi@cps.edu) and click ‘Share’
6. Copy and Paste the questions into your Google doc, and use the websites to answer them!
RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
1. Who was your first interview with?
2. Who will your second interview be with?
3. What time period are you focusing on?
4. What country/city/state did your family move FROM?
5. What area/neighborhood of Chicago did they move TO?
Use the websites or others to answer the following questions:
6. When did most immigrants of your nationality/ethnicity/race come to this country/to Chicago?
7. Where did most immigrants settle? Why?
8. What factors prompted their migration?
9. Describe the immigrants themselves—what was their experience like?
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How old were they?
What jobs did they work?
What languages did they speak?
How was their process of assimilation (blending) with the other Americans?
Did they attend certain churches/temples/mosques/community centers?
Did they prompt change in that area/neighb0rhood/city?
10. How do these general historical trends relate to YOUR family story? Do you fit into the period of high
migration?
11. Other important notes about the immigrants/migrants, their experience, or their demographics?
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